Chapter 108

[Third Person's PoV] 

Daedalus froze upon hearing what Lucian said. Although he couldn't cry due to being an automaton, his eyes and expression told a different story. With a shaky voice, he asked, "Are you able to see into the past of things you touch?"

Lucian didn't give him a yes or no answer. Instead, he just pinched his fingers a bit. "Just a bit."

Daedalus' grip on Lucian's shoulders lessened as he solemnly walked back to his desk. As he sat down, he put a hand on his forehead and covered his eyes. His shoulders started to shake a bit. Even though his body couldn't produce any tears, his very soul wept upon learning of his son's last words.

"That foolish boy, he had nothing to apologize for," he muttered, sadness plaguing his voice.

He took a few minutes to compose himself. Meanwhile, Annabeth and Lucian stood around awkwardly, occasionally looking at each other. They heard Daedalus take a deep breath before sharply exhaling. He looked up and nodded toward Lucian. "Thank you for delivering his final words to me. You may never know how much they mean to me."

Lucian just had a sympathetic expression. "As someone who has lost someone important, I know how meaningful last words can be."

"I see, so you yourself have already experienced the pain of losing someone. May I know who, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My mother," Lucian answered.

"I see… I'm sorry for your loss."

"Likewise," Lucian responded with a nod.

Daedalus leaned back a bit on his chair and opened a drawer by his desk. Out of it, he pulled a blue piece of paper with a ribbon tied around it. He then put the paper on top of his desk. "Here's a blueprint for one of the improved wings I have created. I hope it's of some use to you."

"We also need feathers from Icarus's wings. I was planning on stealing them without your knowledge, but now I thought it was better to ask you."

Annabeth and Daedalus both turned toward Lucian, looking at him with straight faces.

"Why tell me and not just do what you were planning?" Daedalus asked.

"Because we're brothers in grief. I might have a villainous disposition, but I'm not a monster."

Daedalus scoffed. "Brothers in grief. That's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing."

"Well then, get out more, old man. You're not going to hear much being stuck down here. So can I take a feather?"

Daedalus stared into Lucian's smiling expression and sighed. "You're one cheeky brat, I hope you know that."

Lucian just continued to smile. "Thanks, it's one of my best qualities. It comes second to being the most handsome."

Annabeth facepalmed due to Lucian's narcissism, while Daedalus chuckled before nodding his head.

"Very well, if it's only one. No more than that. Think of these two things as a thank you gift from me to you," Daedalus said with a tiny smile gracing his lips.

"Thanks, old man," Lucian said as he took one of the feathers and safely secured it, while Annabeth took the blueprint off his desk.

Once they received the things they needed, they said their goodbyes. "Thanks for everything, old man. Maybe my father will give you a lighter punishment for avoiding death for helping me out."

"What!?"

Was all Lucian and Annabeth heard before they closed the door behind them and started walking away.

"Well, that was easier than I was expecting. I thought we would have to fight him for these things," Annabeth said, looking at the blueprints in her hands.

She undid the ribbons and began to examine it. As she started reading, she let out a small yawn.

"Let's take a rest and continue tomorrow," Lucian suggested.

Annabeth nodded before her eyes widened at the sight of a house with chicken feet. "Did you…?"

Lucian looked at Annabeth in confusion before he quickly realized. "Oh right, I haven't shown you the shadows I managed to collect while on my trip to Russia."

"Well, I want you to meet Mr. Chicken Feet."

Lucian then summoned his other shadows. "You have already met Baba Yaga, who now goes by Beatrice."

Beatrice did a little wave while Annabeth looked at her stunned. "You mean to tell me that wasn't an illusion, and that this is really the infamous Baba Yaga?"

"You thought that was an illusion?" Lucian asked with a raised brow.

"Of course I did!"

"Anyways," Lucian said, changing the subject quickly.

"This is a Guardian spirit from over there, and his name is now The Lorax," Lucian said, motioning toward a monstrous creature made from vines and roots with a deer skull on its face. This occurred when Lucian summoned him as one of his shadows.

"The little mouse is Jefferson."

Jefferson tipped his little hat toward Annabeth in a sort of greeting.

"And the giant skull is Ainz Ooal Gown. Ainz for short." The skull just stared at Annabeth without moving, only the flames in its eyes flickering slightly and swaying.

"You're not scared of it?" Annabeth asked, as she was the only one who truly knew of Lucian's fear.

Lucian's expression turned a bit awkward. "Ainz I can control, so he's good. But those that aren't still give me the hibbie jibbies. I'm using Ainz to face them though, and it semi-works."

Annabeth then patted Lucian's back. "It looks like you had quite the adventure." Annabeth then yawned once more. "Sorry, but we've been traveling and fighting all day. I'm exhausted."

Lucian nodded as he led her inside the house with chicken feet. Before he went in, he summoned Asura and Golurk. "Protect us," was all Lucian said as he headed inside to rest as well.

The next morning…

Lucian and Annabeth exited Chicken Feet with a refreshed look. As Lucian pulled all of his shadows into their place, Annabeth looked around in confusion. "This wasn't where we were?"

"The dungeon is constantly shifting and moving, so who knows where we might be? We might be in China for all we know," Lucian said with a nonchalant shrug.

Lucian then closed his eyes and concentrated. "The closest exit," he thought. After a moment, he said, "Follow me, the exit is closer than we think."

Annabeth nodded and followed along. Lucian turned a corner leading to a dead end, but he just walked toward the wall and passed right through it, surprising Annabeth. She hesitated for a moment before following him through the illusion.

"What was that?" she asked as they started climbing up some stairs.

"A simple but very effective trap," Lucian explained briefly. "It's made to make people believe it's a dead end so they would turn around and continue getting lost in the labyrinth when the exit was right in front of them."

As they exited the labyrinth, they felt the heat of the sun beaming down on them. When they looked around, they realized they were in the middle of a city.

"Uh oh," Lucian said with a weary expression.

"What do you mean, uh oh?" Annabeth asked.

"I know where we are. I've been here before... and let's just say I'm not very welcome here," Lucian admitted.

"What? Where are we and what did you do?"

Lucian sighed. "We're in Phoenix, Arizona... and let's just say its name does justice to the place."

Annabeth looked at Lucian in confusion. "So you remember when I went away for a week to get your birthday present... and came back with scratches all over my body?"

Annabeth pondered for a moment. "Oh yeah, it was the Phoenix Feather... ooooh… Lucian, what did you do?"

"Let's just say when it comes to Phoenixes and me, it's on sight," Lucian replied with a grimace.

"SQUAAAAAAAAWWWWWWKKKKKK!"

Lucian's face paled as he looked up at the sky. "I ALREADY APOLOGIZED FOR PLUCKING YOUR FEATHERS! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!"